Wanda Baader

Wanda Baader is a online marketing and business strategist, speaker and consultant. She is the owner and founder of Strategize Your Success, a full service marketing agency. She enjoys working with entrepreneurs, non-profits and small business owners who need help with their online marketing, social media and Wordpress website development.

  • The Challenge of Business and Life Goals

    Life and Work balance

     

    One of the big issues when you start your own business is whether or not you will have time to actually live your life. Striking a balance between the two has always been a problem for entrepreneurs forever. I know at times I struggle in this area as well.

     

    You think you have it together the plans and strategy and then life happens and all of a sudden you’re off balance. So the best thing to do is to affect balance without sacrificing your goals for either.

     

    Does this sound familiar? You start a business so that you can have more financial freedom in life and then you don’t spend any of your earnings because you are always working. Working for yourself may fulfill a lifelong goal, but you don’t have time to spend with your family, enjoy recreation or take a vacation.

     

    It can be hard to find time for both work and family, especially when you are doing it all alone. But, there is hope.

     

    Let’s look at 5 Balancing Tips for Business and Life

     

    Get help as soon as you can

    – Yes, it will be hard in the beginning. You may work long hours, but there is a brighter day coming. As soon as you are able to afford help without sacrificing profits, then get it! Extra help will free you up to handle bigger tasks and knock off of work early to enjoy the simple things in life.

    Flexibility

    – Rome wasn’t built in a day and your business won’t be either. Realize that there is more to life than working all the time. Build in time for family activities instead of finding more time to work. Keep your schedule somewhat flexible to account for sudden changes because we all know they happen!

     

    Life Balance

    Communicate

    – Keep your family in the loop about what is going on with business. If you need help from them, then ask. Make sure that you make decisions together as much as you can, so that no one misunderstands what is going on. Even though it is your business enterprise, it is a family concern in many ways.

     

    Use time wisely

    – Time management is always important, even if you don’t own a business. When you are working, divide tasks to get everything done in the allotted time frame.  While the week is mostly for work-related goals, let the weekends lead off as family-oriented. Adjust your schedule to take off a Friday now and then for a long weekend getaway with the family. Does that sound nice?

     

    Enjoy yourself

    – If you are not happy in your life or with your business, then nothing you do will matter. You won’t be motivated in either arena. Does the business seem to be sucking you dry? Take a new perspective on your goals. The same goes for your life. Making changes can lead to fulfillment and success. Life is too short not to get pleasure from it.

     

    So keep in mind your “why”. Why did you start your business and when it comes down to it does it bring you the lifestyle of your dreams? If you are struggling in this area reach out to me. Business building is easier if you don’t have to go it alone.

     

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  • What You Need to Know for Your Website Design

    website development

     

    When you first start out creating your website, or talking to a company like ours to develop one for you you’re going to have to stop and ask yourself, “What is the purpose of your website?” If you don’t know, it’s hard to create the website because without a purpose it’s impossible to get started. Not only that, it’s hard to use your website the right way if you don’t even know why you have it.

     

     

    Do You Want a Niche Affiliate Website?

     

     

    This is generally like an authority or expert website that is devoted to promoting someone else’s products or services using the code that they provide. This type of site requires the ability to place a lot of content and information on it, as well as a lead capturing service like AWeber.com, and it needs to be devoted specifically to the niche you want to support. It’s a lot like an authority website except it will promote other people’s products or services.

     

     

    Do You Want to Sell Products or Services?

     

     

    If this is the point of your website, then you’ll need an e-commerce website. It will need shopping cart technology, the proper security, the right type of server capacity, and a way to pull traffic and handle leads that don’t purchase right away. Knowing up front that you want to sell products or services directly from your site will help you explain to a web designer what you need.

     

     

    Do You Want to Generate Leads?

     

     

    Building a lead-generating website requires a little less technology than the e-commerce site, but it still requires such things as an autoresponder, special landing pages, attractive design and keyword-rich content that is devoted to educating the audience and collecting names to market to later (usually via an autoresponder system like AWeber.com or MailChimp.com).

     

    website development

     

    Do You Want an Authority Website?

     

     

    Many experts like to establish their online presence by creating an authority website. Usually they will fill the site with articles, blog posts, and information relating to their specific niche as well as possibly a portfolio and links to other work they’ve done that establishes their expertise more fully. This website basically requires the same technology as the lead-generating site, but it will be set up in a more personal way with the expert as the center of the website.

     

     

    Do You Want a Locally or Nationally Focused Website?

     

     

    Another important factor in considering the purpose of your site is whether you want to attract a local or national audience? If you have a local business where all of your foot traffic will come from people passing through or who live in your city, then of course you want a locally focused site. If you have a business that can be recognized nationally such as being an author, or selling products online, then you want to focus your website nationally. There are a lot of differences to the two that need to be understood before getting started.

     

     

    The makeup of your site also has many characteristics that are always important, regardless of the purpose. All need a lead capturing system with an autoresponder like AWeber.com and all need to have a beautiful and responsive design. But they each have their own purpose that needs to be clear when someone visits the site. Knowing your purpose will increase the marketability of your website exponentially. After reading this, do you know the purpose of your website? If not, contact me and I would be glad to help you figure out what direction to take.

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  • Does Your Social Networking Need Improving in 2016?

    Social Media

     

    Social networking has opened up the world for entrepreneurs and small business owners. You can reach out online and have access to people thousands of miles away, in different countries and different time zones. Isn’t that awesome!

     

     

    How’s your social networking working for you? Are you making headway and developing relationships and growing your business? Or are you struggling to understand how it all works?

     

     

    For most businesses it’s made it faster and easier to do business. Plus, lots of people have made it a great tool for building relationships. Like any tool, though, you have to know how to use it well in order for it to perform for you.

     

     

    Nowadays it seems that there are too many people who come across as uninteresting, too business focused or too distant and they turn their audience off.

     

     

    These are the entrepreneurs who fall into relative obscurity while their competition builds thousands of followers. You have the ability to make social networking a powerful tool if you use it right. So you may be asking how do I do that?

     

     

    First, when you’re online, don’t retreat into yourself. Don’t clam up and let self-doubt have a field day with you. This is what happens when that internal thought track tells you that you’re not interesting and that people don’t want to hear what you have to say. A positive mindset is a powerful tool!

     

    Social Media

     

    Don’t sign up for social media and then stay behind the scenes. That defeats the purpose of having the accounts to begin with. Once you sign up with various social media sites, start to engage with people and let your personality shine through.

     

     

    That’s how you build your audience, your mailing list and basically your business. Let people feel as if they know you, as if they have a peek inside your life. Share both personal and business stuff on social media.

     

     

    Personal doesn’t mean that you have to get too personal. Remember to keep it light and on a positive note. I’ve seen people lose business because they voiced too many negative comments on a particular subject.  It’s okay to share things but like any other conversation you have but try and stay away from controversy unless that’s your online persona.

     

     

    So what are some common topics that are OK to talk about? You can start conversations about foods that you like, about a movie you recently saw (I just saw Star Wars!) or a book that you read. Of course it depends on the social networking site you’re using. Some are better on personal topics like Facebook while others are going to not want to hear about your kids, like LinkedIn.

     

     

    A great example is Pinterest. It’s a good platform for someone in the wedding or fitness niche. You can post pictures of weddings and wedding accessories. Or you can post workout gear, before and after shots, or pictures of workouts.

     

     

    Facebook is good for niches that use videos or tutorials and you can create a group dedicated to that particular niche – such as Marketing. You can share information about products, how-to train videos, etc.

     

    Social Media

     

    Google+ has a lot of tech people and professionals. It’s primarily male dominated. It’s not used by the baby boomer crowd as much. So this would be a good social media site for niches that are into information products and internet marketing.

     

     

     

    When you post on social media, pay attention to which ones get the most interaction. If you post a video and then a picture, if one got more interaction and more views, then you know what the audience prefers. I’ve seen this with our clients and my own business.

     

     

    The timing of your posts is important too. Don’t push any sales or information when there’s a national crisis going on. You’ll look insensitive. Likewise, you can use stats to tell you when your audience is most active on the social platform.

     

     

    I hope you found this blog helpful. If you are having challenges in this area and could use help with your marketing reach out to me thru our contact form. Also, be sure to read my other blog posts or attend one my training webinars.

     

     

    Wanda

     

     

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  • Negotiating Your Schedule When You Work Online

    onlineBeing an online business entrepreneur has lots of advantages! Besides being your own boss you can save a ton of money on gas if you work from home and you don’t have to worry about dressing a certain way for work unless your taking appointments. You can even take work with you anywhere you go, as long as there is an Internet connection.  But every type of business has its pitfalls, and online businesses are no exception.

     

    One of the biggest challenges you might be facing is staying on task.  The Internet is a big place with lots of distractions.  Social media, emails and videos with cute puppies and kittens.  There may also be friends and family sending you instant messages, too.  There’s also the phone calls.  The list goes on and on.

     

    It’s very easy to get sidetracked when you work online.  But it is important not to let distractions affect your productivity.  Even if you’re not getting paid by the hour, time is money as the old saying goes.

     

    Set Hours and Stick to Them

     

    One of the advantages of being your own boss is the ability to set your own hours. But that can also be one of the negatives. In the online world your hours can be long because you are dealing with different time zones and people have a tendency to think that you should be open 24 hours a day sometimes.  Especially, if you have an online store. I’ve had this happen to me. I had a client who didn’t know how to download his product and got upset because he couldn’t talk to me since it was 2 am in my time zone.

     

    Since we can’t stay on the job 24 hours a day we have to be able to draw the line and create our business hours. This helps our client’s know what to expect when reaching out to us and it gives us a life. After all, work is just part of who we are.

    work day

     

     

    So let’s talk about designating work time and avoiding Internet use for non-work related activities. Here are some ways you can help yourself do that:

     

     

    • Separate your email.  Use one address for personal correspondence and another for business purposes.  I even recommend having what I call a junk email address. You know for those places that make you sign up with an email address to get a free offer.  Set your email program up to automatically separate your email so that you can concentrate on the business ones and leave the rest for later.

     

    • If something pops into your head that you must attend to, don’t let it interrupt your work.  Write it down and take care of it during non-work hours.

     

    • Write yourself a note reminding yourself that work time is for work only, or put up an “Open” sign.  It can serve as a gentle reminder that business is the only thing that should be taking place.

     

    • Make sure you stay away from the temptations that working from home can bring like doing laundry while you are working.

     

    Use Flexibility Wisely

     

    Another great thing about working online is flexibility.  If something comes up and you need to attend to it right away, you can drop what you’re doing and attend to it.  But it’s crucial that you only use that privilege when absolutely necessary.

     

    When you have an unexpected interruption, you lose working hours.  If you were working at a regular job, you would have to either take sick or vacation time or lose pay.  When you work for yourself, you can make the hours up at a time that is convenient for you.  It is, however, important to make them up at some point.

     

    As an online entrepreneur you chose a convenient and flexible way to work from home.  Even though it presents more opportunities for distraction than many people imagine it is manageable with some discipline.  Online business success requires a lot of discipline, but the rewards are many.

     

    Here’s to your online business success! 🙂

     

    Wanda

     

     

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  • How to Achieve Results with Blogging

    Creating a blog to attract traffic to your website, products and services is a must in today’s competitive online marketing space. Blog postings are probably the most important part of your content marketing campaign.

     

    The content from each blog post will attract, inform, engage, and compel your readers to act contributing to achieving your goals. To get the most from each blog post and to maximize results from blog postings it’s important to consider all the factors that go into making a result achieving blog post.

     

    audience

     

    Know Your Audience

     

    Who are you writing the post for? You’re not writing it for search engines, you’re writing it for people. If you know your audience, you’ll be able to formulate better blog posts.

     

    Know Your Purpose

     

    What is the purpose of the blog post? Is it to get people to buy something, to take a certain course, or to join your mailing list? Whatever the purpose don’t water it down by having more than one purpose.

     

    Add Value

     

    The reader should finish your blog post feeling like they accomplished something more than wasting time. They should feel more educated, more knowledgeable and informed than before they clicked through. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them!

     

    visual element

    Include a Visual Element

    Putting images or videos in your blog post will make it a lot more interesting to the reader. For instance, if your blog post is a tutorial, having video and images to back up the “how to” aspects will make it even better.

     

    Include a CTA

     

    Never write a single post without including a call to action (CTA), if you know your purpose the CTA should be a simple addition to the blog post. If you don’t ask your audience to do something, they’ll do nothing.

     

    Integrate Social Media

     

    Your readers should easily be able to share your blog post with their friends and connections by using the social media links on your blog post. In addition, you should always share every single blog post with relevant social media accounts and groups. Don’t just post a link either, post a description, ask for people to go read it, and ask for comments.

     

    Send It to Your List

     

    Every blog post you make should also be sent to your relevant email lists as a reminder to go read your blog. Ask your list to share your blog post with others. It’s a great way to get others involved in promoting an important post.

     

    The days of throwing up any keyword rich content are over. Today, readers expect to get value out of blog posts. Do include keywords, but realize that it’s going to take more than keywords to get readers to stick around and read what you have to say. In addition, readers want to converse about the blog post. By making it open for comments and discussion you’ll create more opportunity for more people to see your blog post and act on the CTA.

     

    If you like what I blog about why not become part of my community? Use our easy sign up form next to this blog post plus get a valuable gift for signing up.

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  • Have you started Blabbing?

    Blab front page

    Blab.im came out in the Spring of 2015 and it has hit the ground running. It’s growing in popularity daily. If you haven’t started Blabbing you probably will. Whether it’s listening to others Blab or doing your own Blab Show.

     

    I have to say this platform is HOT and I love it. It has brought the social back to social media. It also allows you to instantly network with people all over the world. Providing you with opportunities that you may not get at a regular networking event.

     

    It’s easy to watch a Blab. All you need is a link. You don’t have to join anything. However, if you do join you might be able to participate in the conversation and meet some really interesting new people, get answers to your questions or give answers and highlight your expertise.

    It’s easy to start an account. You can sign up with your Twitter account. You don’t have to use the same bio info but you can. You can always start with that and change the information later.

    Blab ID

    Here is the screen shot of what a replay looks like on Blab.im. It’s really easy to watch. Obviously, you can’t participate in a Blab conversation but you can leave a comment.

     

    Bkab Replay

    Blabs are categorized by tags. Each Blab has three tag options to make them easier to find. You can also look Blabbers up by name and the search will take you to that person’s participation in Blabs.

    Blab Tags
    I would recommend watching other Blabs first before doing your own so that you feel comfortable with the platform. Once you are ready you can do a Blab by using the category called “First Blab”. This will give you a way to setup your audio and camera if you haven’t already. On thing to keep in mind is that unlike Google Hangouts you are LIVE streaming the minute you activate your Blab.

    I hope you find Blab as Blabalicious as I do. 🙂

     

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  • Keep Readers Interests by Using Graphics on Your Blog Posts

    In order to create great blog content, as well as keep readers interest, the use of images can go far in making your site feel friendlier. They say “a picture is worth 1000 words”, and that’s very true. It’s amazing how the right image in the right spot can make all the difference in your blog. Here’s why.

     

    Catch the Reader’s Attention

    Using Images

    The right image put in the right place can catch the reader’s attention. It can make the reader realize you’re being ironic, serious, or silly. A great image sets the overall tone of your message. The right image can even help tone down a super serious message so that the reader can digest it.

     

    Adds Interest for the Reader

     

    Images add to the content in ways that just words cannot. It breaks up the view into scannable areas for a deeper understanding of the blog post for the reader. The colors will make the blog post stand out more and keep the reader reading. A bunch of text with no break is not exciting. But, break up a long post with relevant images and you’ll have a winner every time.

     

    It Sets Apart Content

     

    People are very visual, and having a picture on the blog post helps create a more memorable experience for the reader. A Twitter post actually gets 95% more shares if it has an image that accompanies it. Blog posts can gain the same attention when you add visuals.

     

    Helps Reveal MeaningUsing Images

     

    The right images can actually reveal what you mean in your blog post. If you’re trying to teach someone how to do something, adding in images that make your point will be very helpful. You can use screen shots, or other images that tell a story that matches your blog post.

     

    Improves SEO

     

    Believe it or not, a good image and proper use of alt tags can improve your search engine optimization. Not only that, a great image will make readers more likely to share the content when it comes with fabulous eye candy. Be sure to fill out all the information of your image such as the title and description text for the image, using appropriate keywords.

     

    Increases Engagement

     

    Using appropriate images will make your blog stickier and make people more likely to engage with your blog post and comment. People have short attention spans, and if you can break up the text they are reading with relevant imagery, all the better. If you have thumbnails set up right, when they share your blog post the image will show up next to the share, making it that much more likely for someone to click through.

     

    Adds Humor to Your Blog

    Using Images

    Sometimes adding a humorous image can help when you are going to blog about a serious topic. It can lighten the moment and make your readers laugh. It might also make them happy enough to want to share your blog post with others. Be careful about choosing images for humor, though; you don’t want to insult your audience either.

     

    Use Caution When Choosing Images

     

    There is no reason not to add images to every blog post. It will make your blog that much more beautiful and relatable to your audience. Be sure though to use images that you have rights to use. If you are getting royalty free images online be sure to read the licensing. This goes for purchased images as well. Each provider has different rules. Some won’t allow images to be used on social media. Taking the time to read first will save you hassles in the future. Some people have been fined for misuse of images that they did not obtain permission to use.

     

    Create a Library for Your Images

     

    I use images a lot in my business. Over the years I have created libraries of these images so that it makes it easier for me to find them. I have them filed as to the source, the type of image and so forth. The great thing about images is that most are evergreen and you can repurpose them on so many of your marketing materials.

     

    So in closing, get more visual! Add your personality into your words with images. Remember they bring value in more than one way; SEO, readers attention and emotions.

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  • Is It Time to Outsource Parts of Your Business?

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    Online entrepreneurs and small business owners, it’s easy to get into the frame of mind that you have to do everything. Well I’m here to share a secret with you. YOU DON’T. I know you probably started with little to no money and built everything up on your own with little help. I can identify! I also know it’s hard to let go and to know when to do so. After all, it’s your baby, right?  But I’m here to tell you that there are some sure signs.

     

    You Have a Growing Business

     

    You’re finding that you do not have time to do everything, even if you want to. You’re running yourself ragged working 18 hours a day. Consider this, most brick and mortar business owners never once consider doing everything on their own. If someone opens a restaurant, they hire staff. Your business is no different. If you’ve outgrown your ability to keep up, it’s either sink or swim time, and if you want to swim you need to outsource and get help.

     

    You Need a Larger Profit

     

    You’ve worked as hard as you can on your own and now you’re maxed out. This is especially likely to happen for service businesses. You only have so many billable hours in a day. You have finite resources of time, like everyone else. But, if you bring on a contractor you can essentially duplicate yourself, thus increasing your profit.

     

    Things Are Falling through the CracksTasks You Hate

     

    You’re finding it harder and harder to meet deadlines, and you’re forgetting to do things that are important – even if they’re on your overfilled calendar (Am I striking a cord?). If you’ve missed more than one deadline in the last month, it’s time to seriously consider outsourcing some of the tasks so that you can get back on track with your business. Otherwise you’ll end up getting a bad reputation as someone who doesn’t meet their obligations. This could kill your business and it’s time to get real.

     

    You Hate Doing Certain Tasks

     

    Every business has tasks that aren’t enjoyable to do. However, a thing you find tedious and tend to put off through procrastination could be someone else’s money maker that they’re passionate about. If you can spend more time working in your genius then you’ll naturally increase your income. It will be worth it to you to pass on those tasks to someone else.

     

    You Don’t Have the Right Skill-Set

     

    I see people makes this mistake a lot. Face it, not everyone is good at everything. If you’re spending time doing tasks that you aren’t skilled at doing, you’re likely wasting a lot of billable hours. You might think it’s expensive to outsource things like web design but in truth the time you save by hiring an expert to do what you need done will pay off for you. Spend time doing what you’re an expert at, and let others do what they’re good at.

     

    You Want to Do Other Things

     

    You can do everything on your own but you’re wanting to spend more time with your family or devote more time to exercise or a hobby. You can essentially outsource most of your business to others by simply contracting with various people to take over each aspect of your business. You can become a manager of your business while letting others complete the needed tasks, so that you can do other things like go to the beach with family.

     

    You Need Time Off

     

    A family member needs you, or you’re simply tired because you’re working 18 hours a day. This is a sign that you need time off, and the only way you can have time off in your business and still bring in income is to outsource various tasks so that you have more free time. If you find that you have no free time at all, and can’t risk taking a day off to even go to the doctor, it’s time to outsource.

     

    You Can Make More Money Doing Something Else

     

    If your main money maker is coaching, you shouldn’t be spending time and effort on creating a new website. If your main money maker is speaking, you should not be wasting time on social media posting, sales page designs, etc… If you can pay someone 100 dollars an hour while you do something else and earn 300 dollars an hour, you’re still 200 dollars ahead, right?

     

    Outsourcing can be a hard choice to make, but it is a necessary choice to grow your business and truly create a business that works for your needs rather than you giving up your entire life for the business. The whole point in having a business is to have more money, time and freedom. It’s time to let go and let others help you.

     

    Can I HelpWanda Baader, is the owner of Strategize Your Success, a boutique marketing agency that serves entrepreneurs, small businesses a speakers.

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  • Should I Use Free or Paid Ads?

    AdvertisingAdvertising is a part of business, I know some people wish it wasn’t. Whether you are a small business, entrepreneur or a large company advertising of some sort will be necessary. It doesn’t matter if you are selling a product or a service you have to get the word out to the world somehow.

     

    There are many factors to consider when making this decision but only you will be able to know what is right for you. I’m not suggesting that you don’t get help if you don’t know what to do but ultimately your advertising has to represent you.

     

    Paid advertising depending on the type of advertising you use will determine the cost. Some advertising is quite extensive, resulting in more expense. This type of advertising is generally more suitable for larger companies.

     

    In most cases the cost of advertising will be more involved and reach a wider audience and a more specific market niche. This will include a diverse approach such as a mix of newspapers, television, web sites, social media and SEO. This can either be state, national or worldwide.

     

    Free advertising is more for those who are boot strapping or trying to sell an item or service to promote a small business. Free advertising does generally limit the area of where your advertisements will appear, but at the same time it is a very good start that you can eventually build on to as money and business allows. This smaller scale of advertising is generally limited to local or state wide coverage, or if you’re lucky it may include a few states and even a few web page mentions.

     

    With free ads, especially on web pages, social media or through mailing lists you may come across to salesy or spammy. Be sure to use the 80/20 rule. Promote only 20% of the time.

     

    Remember to provide great content to your subscribers so they keep wanting to read what you have to say and also try and entertain your audience. Lastly, be approachable by adding your personality to all you do.

     

    advertisingNext let’s look at a hybrid approach to advertising which many of my clients do. As they have grown their businesses they start to emulate some of the larger companies by incorporating a more diverse approach to their marketing budget by adding paid advertising. Of course the more niched you are the better this approach works. Knowing your demographic is also important.

     

    You may not have the dollars to reach a national audience but you may have the budget to reach a local target audience. For instance, if your business has a good following on Facebook you may try Facebook Ads. These ads can target a very specific audience and not cost you a lot of money to try.

     

    Another way to get your products out to the world is an affiliate program. I can’t spend a lot of time on this approach in this post (because it’s extensive) but many resourceful businesses have used this method. It is more of a hybrid approach because it does cost you money in paid commissions but it allows you to reach audiences that you may have never gotten in front of and you don’t pay unless something is sold.

     

    As you can see there are options available to you. One is expensive but reaches a wide market, one is a hybrid and can help you reach further than your local market and the other one is free but a little more limiting.

     

    Whichever one you chose make sure you have the resources and time to actually get it done. Advertising needs to be consistent for it to make a lasting impression on your target market. If you cannot be consistent than be sure to sub out the work to an assistant, VA or marketing agency.

     

     

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  • How to Actively Set Goals

    Goal SettingHave you ever set goals but then found that maybe they were too vague?  While vague goals may seem more achievable, they do not provide the inspiration that more specific goals do.  For example, you might set a goal to sell more this month than you did last month.  But what does that really mean? Do you want to sell $10 more or $1000? Either will make it seem that you have achieved that goal.  But which one would be more preferable, right?

     

    The better way to reach a goal is to make it measurable.  The measurement doesn’t necessarily have to be a dollar amount.  It could be a percentage increase to your profits by next month, or a number of website visitors or mailing list subscribers you would like to reach in a certain amount of time.

     

    You Don’t Want to Get Stuck in Your Comfort Zone

     

    It’s a great feeling to meet your goals, isn’t it?  It’s even better to meet them regularly.  But if you are exceeding each and every one of your goals all the time then it may be time to aim higher.

     

    Some people will set themselves up with easy goals that they can attain so that they don’t scare themselves. But in doing so, they don’t motivate themselves as much as they could.  And that may lead them to not working up to their potential.

    comfort zone

    Instead of setting goals that you know you can achieve, consider stretching yourself a bit.  You know that saying, “Step outside your comfort zone”. Start out small if it makes you more comfortable but not too comfortable!  If you meet the slightly loftier goal, make the next one a little more ambitious, and continue this pattern with each goal that is reached.  Before you know it, you will be in awe at what you are achieving!

     

    Give Yourself Time for Goal Setting

     

    Running a business is hard work, I know. It’s not uncommon to get so caught up in day-to-day operations that we forget to make goals.  But if we avoid this crucial step, we miss out on an opportunity to evaluate how we are doing and give ourselves new things to aim for.

    setting time
    Setting up time to determine our goals is well worth the effort.  Adjusting long-term goals and setting short-term ones at regular intervals is time well spent.  A good time for goal setting is at the beginning or end of each month or whenever it works best for your schedule.  If you have a team be sure to get them involved in the process.

    Setting new goals should be an ongoing process.  It is important to reward yourself for reaching goals, but it is equally important to continue to set new, higher ones.  The more goals you reach and the higher they are, the more you can reward yourself. Now that sounds like fun, right?

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